The Awareness Center closed. We operated from April 30, 1999 - April 30, 2014. This site is being provided for educational & historical purposes.
We were the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA); and were dedicated to ending sexual violence in Jewish communities globally. We did our best to operate as the make a wish foundation for Jewish survivors of sex crimes. In the past we offered a clearinghouse of information, resources, support and advocacy.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

The Most Dangerous States for American Kids

By Bill O'Reilly
BillOReilly.com - Thursday, Mar 16, 2006

For those of you who still believe the justice system in America is
working, consider the following. For three years, 46-year old Andrew
Selva sexually brutalized two boys, ages 5 and 12, in a small town
outside of Columbus, Ohio. In a plea bargain, Selva admitted to the
court that he raped the boys in a variety of ways. By all accounts, it
was savage criminal activity.

But when Selva appeared for sentencing before Ohio Judge John Connor, he
received no prison time at all. Instead, Connor placed him on
probation, saying, "He's got a disease like I've got a disease. I don't
know that prison would have helped, except for revenge, and revenge is
not in the sentencing guidelines."

What the sentencing guidelines did call for was a ten-year stretch in a
state prison. But Connor believes he knows better, so it is probation
for a child rapist. By the way, the "disease" Connor referenced in his
own case is apparently alcohol-related; the judge has at least two DUI
convictions on his sheet.

This kind of sentencing insanity is increasing across the country
because many states, like Ohio, have no mandatory minimum prison terms
for child predators and, as we all know, there is no shortage of loony
judges like Connor.

While some states have passed Jessica's Law, which harshly punishes
child molesters, other states simply will not do anything. The following
are the most dangerous to a child's welfare.

Vermont:
Even after the national scandal of Judge Edward Cashman sentencing the
rapist of an 8-year old girl to just 60 days in prison (under pressure,
Cashman later revised the sentence to a paltry three years), the Vermont
legislature failed to pass mandatory minimums for child sexual
predators. The effort was blocked by Democrats, and Republican Governor
Jim Douglas refused to get involved.

Maryland:
No mandatory minimums for sexual crimes against children. The Chairman
of the House Judiciary Committee, Democrat Joseph Vallario, has
consistently blocked efforts to pass Jessica's Law.

Massachusetts:
Absolutely no mandated protection for kids who are brutalized sexually.
The judge is free to bestow any sentence. Speaker of the House Sal
Dimasi, a Democrat, has killed every piece of tough sex offender
legislation that has been introduced.

North Dakota:
No minimum prison sentences for any sexual acts with minors. Governor
John Hoeven, a Republican, says he is "studying" ways to change that.

Also, the states of Colorado, Wisconsin, Maine, Kansas, and Montana have
weak laws protecting kids, but at least there are politicians in those
states trying to change things.

In the Ohio case where the child rapist received parole, and in the
Vermont case where the man who raped the little girl initially got 60
days, the three victims were poor kids. Their parents had no money, no
influence, and no hope of challenging the wicked judges. I submit those
awful sentences would not have been handed down if the rapists had
abused wealthy children.

But be that as it may, any state that will not severely punish an adult
who rapes a child is a disgraceful state. And everybody living there
should know it.

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Survivors ARE Heroes!

The Awareness Center believes ALL survivors of sex crimes should be given yellow ribbons to wear proudly.

Survivors of sexual violence (as adults and/or as a child) are just as deserving of a yellow ribbon as the men and women of our armed forces, who have been held captive as hostages or prisoners of war.

Survivors of sexual violence have been forced to learn how to survive, being held captive not by foreigners, but mostly by their own family members, teachers, camp counselors, coaches babysitters, rabbis, cantors or other trusted authority figures.

For these reasons ALL survivors of sexual violence should be seen as heroes!